WTA Finals 2022: Ons Jabeur vs Maria Sakkari preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Ons Jabeur vs (5) Maria Sakkari.
Date: November 4, 2022.
Tournament: WTA Finals 2022.
Round: Round robin.
Venue: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, United States.
Category: Year-ending championships.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Prize money: $5,000,000.
Match timing: Not before 7 pm local time, 8 pm ET, 12 am GMT and 5:30 am IST.
Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.
Ons Jabeur vs Maria Sakkari preview
2022 Wimbledon and US Open runner-up Ons Jabeur will lock horns with World No. 5 Maria Sakkari in the final match of the group stage at the WTA Finals on Friday.
Jabeur stumbled to a three-set loss in her first group match against Aryna Sabalenka. She next faced Jessica Pegula in a must-win encounter for both players. The Tunisian looked out of sorts as she lost the opening set rather tamely.
The two exchanged a break of serve early on in the second set. Jabeur started to play well and soon bagged four games in a row to clinch the set and take the match to a decider. The World No. 2 looked to be in trouble at the start of the third set but saved five break points for a gutsy hold of serve.
Jabeur's confidence was further boosted by that. She held break points across two of Pegula's service games later on but failed to convert. Her persistence was rewarded in the eighth game as she snagged a break to lead 5-3. The Tunisian then served out the match to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Sakkari started her WTA Finals campaign on a winning note as she defeated Jessica Pegula earlier. She faced Aryna Sabalenka in the second group tie. The Greek was off to a flying start as she jumped to a 3-1 lead. She saved a couple of break points later on, which kicked off a three-game run that led to her claiming the first set.
Sakkari carried the momentum into the second set as she raced to a 3-0 lead. Sabalenka eventually halted her losing skid as she won the next four games in a row to go 4-3 up. The pendulum swung in the Greek's favor once again as she bagged the next three games to win the match 6-2, 6-4.
Ons Jabeur vs Maria Sakkari head-to-head
The two have faced off twice before on the WTA tour, with the head-to-head being tied at 1-1. Jabeur won their previous encounter at the 2022 Italian Open in three sets.
Ons Jabeur vs Maria Sakkari odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Ons Jabeur vs Maria Sakkari prediction
Although Sakkari was the last player to qualify for the WTA Finals, she is now the first to reach the semifinals. She hasn't dropped a set here so far. The Greek faced some resistance from Sabalenka in the second set but managed to subdue her in time to win the match.
Jabeur overcame a sluggish start to defeat Pegula in three sets. She got progressively better as the match went on and kept herself in contention for a semifinal spot. The Tunisian anticipated her opponent's shots quite well and started taking the ball early too.
Sakkari has been playing with great confidence recently, which has been a pleasant change after a tough few months. She has been ripping her forehand with great power and accuracy, while her backhand has been quite potent as well.
However, players are known to let their guard down after securing their place in the last four here and at times lose their final group match. Based on how they've played so far, Sakkari will be favored to win, but Jabeur is certainly capable of emerging victorious as well.
Pick: Maria Sakkari to win in straight sets.